Recipe: Cheesy Bean Dip

I’m a dip fan at heart, and if it includes hot, gooey, melted cheese, all the better. This Cheesy Bean Dip recipe is perfect when you have the munchies, are having a Movie Night at home, or just because.

No matter how many times I look at the word cheesy, it always looks like it’s spelled wrong.

Is it just me?

So… this summer I started teaching kids cooking camps. And that has actually morphed into some kids cooking workshops as well. It’s been a lot of work, but loads of fun. It’s truly one of those things where, during the first session, I looked around and thought, “this. this is what I’m supposed to be doing.”

During one of my July sessions, my campers and I decided to have a Dip Day, where we spent the afternoon making all sorts of dip recipes, both savory and sweet.

Because, really, who doesn’t LOVE dip?

This recipe for Cheesy Bean Dip was one of my favorites, and I’ve already made it several times since then, most recently when we were down the shore with family this past weekend.

Just a few staple pantry ingredients, and a whole lotta fresh grated cheese, and you’ll be spooning this sinfully delicious stuff into your mouth in no time at all.

I’m not gonna lie. It’s probably not the healthiest thing you’re going to eat, despite the plethora of beans.

But balance. Focus on balance.

Just don’t miss this one.

Hungry for more dip recipes?
This Spinach Artichoke Dip is a healthy riff off an old favorite.
Pizza Dip was a recipe I made with some June campers.
For more hot cheesy deliciousness, this Bacon and Cheese Dip is another guilty pleasure.
And despite a flashback to bad photography and the trauma that surrounded Hurricane Sandy, this Warm Cheddar Dip is still a winner.

Cheesy Bean Dip
Recipe courtesy of Cate O’Malley

Ingredients

8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
16 oz refried beans
½ cup mild salsa
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 cups shredded Cabot Monterey Jack cheese, divided

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the cream cheese, beans, salsa, and chili powder. Add 1-1/2 cups of cheese and mix well.

Spoon mixture into a greased 8×8 baking dish and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with remaining cheese and return to oven for five more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serve with your favorite chips or dippers.